Briar, Briar; April 16 2025

First thing’s first – I have another poem published, this one through The Fairy Tale Magazine! I also got a short story acceptance the other day, so be on the lookout for the link once it’s out!

Things are going pretty well on the exercise front. I’ve stuck to it and while I’m definitely feeling the effects in terms of ‘sore’, I can’t expect any other results this early. Just got to keep at it.

I’m trying to dig into the next novel I’ve got on the docket, but wondering if I’m trying to commit to too many things at once. It doesn’t actually seem like a lot when I list it – fitness, housekeeping, parenting, writing – but it’s… kind of draining. Chronic fatigue makes every task five times bigger. I want to write a little bit daily but can’t seem to find the time, most days.

I’m at that point again in life and my career where I’m teetering on this tightrope, waiting for the right moment to spring to the other side. Short story and poem publications are amazing and help me take a tiny step forward on it, but I’m still not close enough to the end to feel relief. I want a win. A big win.

And maybe that’s unfair! I have a lot of cool things coming up, like going to Can*Con this October and The Other Face of Sympathy coming out September 9th! 

A picture of Conscience, one of the primary characters in ‘The Other Face of Sympathy'‘, art by sutexii.

But I’ll also have school then, which will impede writing, which makes me want to get as much writing done now as I can, and it’s something of a vicious cycle.

Maybe once I’m in a physically healthier place, it’ll be okay to ease off the exercise – not stop completely, but not have to set time aside every day for working up a sweat. And if I can get the bulk of this book’s first draft down, I won’t be struggling so much with motivation.

Anyone out there have any tips for getting your schedule down?